I absolutely loved this book… it gave me the chills!!

Mina is engaged to be married, she’s recently qualified as a child psychologist and is still mourning the loss of her sickly younger brother.

She meets her new friend Sam at a grief group and when he informs her he is doing investigative journalist work on an unusual case and could use her help, she jumps at the opportunity.

Alice is a seemingly troubled child who recently got kicked out of school and has all the community convinced she is either possessed or touched with the ability to see and speak to the dead.

Sam and Mina are tasked with the job of finding out what is going on behind the scenes, what is causing these symptoms and how much is true or false.

I loved the supernatural vibes, a perfect read for a spooky fall! From the things Alice says, to the creepy atmospheric town full of their superstitious beliefs, unhinged believers and folklore, the entire book was just the perfect haunted story.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press, Daisy Pearce and NetGalley for the EARC.

Publish date; Feb 25th

Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce: Mina has just become a child psychologist, but she's been unable to get hands-on experience. Then Sam, a man in her grief support group, tells her about a teenage girl named Alice who claims she's being haunted by a witch. Sam is a journalist and wants Mina to come with him to Alice's small village to investigate; it doesn't quite go as planned.

I rarely get scared by books, but this one legitimately freaked me out at times. (Without spoiling anything, this book made me grateful we don't have a fireplace!) My only complaint is that I didn't save it for October. Perfect reading on a stormy night with a cup of tea and a beloved pet or person nearby for reassurance as needed. It's really well done and has a surprising but satisfying conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC! The book will be published on February 25th, 2025.

This book is perfect for October. It's got the feel of being haunted and witches. I'm not sure I got full resolution, which I wasn't a fan of, but there definitely was more going on that meets the eye. The more I think about it, the more I realized I wasn't super fond of the characters either. I wish they would have all just said what needed to be said instead of being purposely creepy. It did keep me entertained and I did want to find out what happened in the end.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc. The perfect read to start off spooky season. Creepy, ominous and downright scary at times. I loved it. Mina is a brand new child psychologist with no experience whatsoever. She fills her days planning her wedding even though she has her reservations regarding her fiancé. She also grieving the death of her brother from many years ago. One day during her grief group session, a journalist approaches her and propositions her with an opportunity to kickstart her career. He mentions a 13 year old girl named Alice who claims to be haunted by a witch, and is living in a town that is scared and taunting her and her family. Mina believes that she can work with Alice and make her realize that she is not being haunted. She lives with Alice’s family in order to get a better understanding of what is going on. Meanwhile strange occurrences start happening and people start dying. Mina does her best to unravel the truth but in turn find herself mixed up the towns urban legends and discovers the disturbing truth too late. This is a must read. So good.

Mina is pulled in by a friend to evaluate a potential haunting: a teenage girl claims to be haunted by the spirit of a witch. Her parents are worried, and when Mina and her partner in the investigation arrive in town, they discover that the girl, Alice, has become a local celebrity. After strange and sinister occurances, the tide begins to turn as the town becomes convinced that Alice must be dealt with. Mina resists a supernatural explanation, despite mounting evidence to the contrary.

Pearce writes deliciously spooky scenes, full of suspense and dread. With major Conjuring vibes, it's easy to get sucked into the horror. The town itself is strange, and people seem to be primed to be on the lookout for witches. [As the story goes on, it gives major Midsommar vibes.

If you want to have a book change the way you feel about brick fireplaces and broken bottles, this is just for you. And really, doesn't every great horror book change the way you see the world?

Wow -- this is the first book I've read by Daisy Pearce and I will absolutely be coming back for more. The Midsommar vibes are definitely there and I found that I could not read this at night because of that dang witch and the fireplace! So so creepy!! I've already recommended this to several friends and coworkers :)

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book. It was amazing!!!

Creepy and atmospheric, this one is sure to get you ready for the spooky season! The ending left some questions and was a little disjointed but I felt that only added to the suspense to a point. Alice was an interesting character and so was Mina.

Cute, easy read. Narration utilizes different voices well to create a fun experience. Will be keeping an eye out for more from this author.

First off, a huge thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of Something in the Walls. I was so excited to read this and it didn’t let me down.

The story follows Mina, a newly-minted child psychologist who’s struggling to get her career going. She’s feeling stuck in life until she meets a journalist, Sam, who introduces her to Alice — a 13-year-old girl from a small village claiming to be haunted by a witch. Alice’s behavior becomes increasingly disturbing, and the village, with its deep history of superstition, believes in sinister forces at play. As Mina digs deeper, she uncovers unsettling truths about Alice, the village, and even her own past.

I was hooked from the start. The atmosphere is eerie and really pulls you in. It’s the perfect read to get into that spooky fall mood. I loved how the book avoided the usual horror tropes, making the story feel fresh and different.

The only downside for me was that a few questions were left unanswered by the end. But honestly, that just made me think about the story even more after finishing. I still really enjoyed it and can’t wait to grab a physical copy when it’s out.

If you’re into creepy, atmospheric reads, I’d definitely recommend giving this one a try!

Maybe I am missing something? The sole purpose of the book was about the witch but then that was completely dropped towards the end and not ever addressed. I WAS SO INVESTED IN THIS WITCH WITH ALICE and left with NO ANSWERS. What the hell.

I really enjoyed the atmospheric writing and the characters in this book. It did give off the perfect fall creepy vibes. The only thing that lowered my rating from a 5 to a 4 was the fact that I just felt the ending left me wanting more. I look forward to reading more by Pearce in the future.

First who decided to release this in february it would be great for right now for all the spooky loving people out there. I ate this book up. The idea of someone or something in the walls and then its also turning you mad is so good for the horror fan in me. I will say the deeper I go into the book I quite literally was walking on the treadmill with this book I just couldn't put it down. I felt for Alice and just wanted her to feel better and everything to be solved but i know it had to get worse before it could get better. I feel like with the amazing cover I'm also going to buy a physical copy for my library as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of Something in the Walls.

This is such a tough one for me to review! The first 75% was amazing between the retro setting and the super spooky details of the story, easily 5/5 stars. Unfortunately, the remaining 25% was like a 2/5. The ending felt completely disjointed from the rest of the story and I was left with so many unanswered questions. Genuinely bummed because there was so much potential for a slam dunk here.

3 stars.

Mina Ellis is still struggling with the death of her younger brother years before. When another member of her grief support group tells her about a girl who claims to be haunted it seems like a good way to get some work experience in her field (child psychology), but part of her also hopes the girl might be able to contact her dead brother. But when they arrive in the remote English village the situation is more complex that Mina is ready for. And when very disturbing events start happening, she's not sure what the truth is.

The first half of the book was very creepy. The kind of creepy that made me very uncomfortable and I had no trouble putting it down when it started to get too late. (Not sure if this makes sense to anyone else but it reminded me a bit of the movie "The Grudge," with it's growing unease and the creepy sounds...) But eventually (after lots of daylight reading) you get to a point where you're not sure anymore what's happening... which is also unsettling. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's very much the kind of story I like - scary but uncertain and making you wonder what's really happening. Great ending, too. (Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance electronic review copy.)

Oh my goodness!! Something in the walls by Daisy Pearce was such a great read! I loved the characters in this book and felt connected as this is not a book I usually am attracted to! It was creepy and at times felt uncomfortable but loved every second of it! Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This title is published on February 25th, 2025.

I wish I could say I enjoyed this book but I really didn't. I found the pacing to be very slow at times where essentially nothing was happening. The main character transformed from being a vibrant, driven and hungry young woman into a pathetic shell of a person which really annoyed me for a number of reasons. The entire plot, which was rooted in the paranormal, resulted in all the supporting characters becoming even more pathetic. At times, I felt that I had to suspend my disbelief at literally every character's behaviour and interactions with the main character just to progress to the conclusion of this book.

If you enjoy a paranormal tale, you might really like this book but don't expect it to stay true to that premise until the end.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

“Everyone loves to look into the darkness” This was an ominous, creepy, spooky tale that the author reveals at just the right moments. The buildup of the story was intense and had me hanging on the edge. I did not see the twist that was revealed and the ending left me with a lot more questions. Without saying too much, I will be contemplating this one for a while. Definitely recommend this book. Pub Date February 25, 2025. Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martins Press and Daisy Pearce for the opportunity to read this arc for an honest review. 🐝

Something in the Walls is a perfect example of a novel that is good....until the end. The eerie atmosphere and down right scary happenings, really got me tied into the story. The characterization was a little shaky with mindsets and actions not always aligning, but not enough for a negative impact. I loved the historical aspect of lore and tradition and the psychological impacts on a single person, and as a collective group. At times, I could not put it down! As it got closer to the climax, I realized several aspects of the storyline had been glossed over, to make for a tied up ending, and it left me with more questions. I found it frustrating because it really started out good. Others may not find the ending as disappointing, so I would still recommend to lovers of the genre. I would say 2.5/out of 5. #somethinginthewalls #daisypearce #netgalley #goodreads

Wow! This book is going to be all over booktok when it releases because holy crap it was amazing! There were times reading that I had to turn lights on (I read a lot at night in bed) because it was so spooky! The characters are amazing! I really felt connected to all of them in their own way. The descriptions were incredible. It’s a bit of small town folklore, mixed with horror and psychology. Super super good! It’s a must read for sure! Thank you publishers and NetGalley for this arc!!!

I never quite got into this one, although it has all the elements I like: is it real-life problem or a haunting, folk horror, truly scary moments, and it's a fever dream of a book almost all the way through. And yet. It didn't quite click. I don't know if it was me or the book (although there was one thing that annoyed me, but it's too big of a spoiler to mention). Oh well.